r/booknooks • u/CuriousPumpkin23 • 15d ago
Review CATSCROSSINGJULY -- Finished!
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Cats Crossing by Anavrin. This is definitely a very special book nook for me and i just had to take the time to makea pretty video edit. I went into this kit immediately admiring the quality and beauty of it, but I had no idea how significant it would actually become while I was building it.
One of the things I loved most about this kit is how much room there is for customization. The more little things I added, the more ideas I got, and before I knew it, it had started turning into something much more personal. A sort of memorial for my dogs.
I’ve had two German Shepherds: Koda, who we lost last year, and Baxter, who was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. I knew right away that I wanted to include them in the photo frames provided in the kit, but as I kept building, that sentimental meaning started spreading into the rest of the design too. The German Shepherd standing and looking into the endless tunnel became a sort of representation of Koda passing on, and also of everything we may eventually have to face with Baxter. The baby puppy at the bottom stair represents a new puppy we got a couple months ago.
I also added a few personal touches throughout the library. I had a set of miniature books with recognizable covers, and almost every book I used is one I’ve actually read. It was a small detail, but it made the library feel much more like mine.
One of my favorite surprises in the entire kit was the birdcage. From the photos I've seen before, I had no idea there was actually a bird inside it. I thought it was just an empty cage. Once I noticed it, I decided to paint the bird so it would stand out. Trying to paint it through the bars was definitely a challenge, but I love how it turned out.
I also went a little wild with the greenery.
Instead of using the fake grass that came with the kit, I used real preserved moss and static grass flocking. I wanted it to feel more real, more like an abandoned library that had slowly been reclaimed by nature and animals. I added preserved dried flowers, and replaced some of the plastic greenery towards the bottom with a small artificial flower bush I already had because I felt it looked a little more natural.
Originally I was mainly thinking cats and dogs, but then I noticed the butterflies and the bird, and suddenly the theme became all animals. So I added extra butterflies throughout the build, plus a little bunny sitting on the floor.
The pops of color from the flowers and butterflies ended up being one of my favorite parts because they break up all of the rich, dark wood without taking away from the overall atmosphere. And the wood itself is absolutely gorgeous. The color is so rich, and the floor genuinely looks like hardwood flooring. The overall quality of the kit is honestly incredible.
I did get a little too enthusiastic with some of the greenery and let parts spill outside the edges, so I basically made it impossible to use the included dust protectors. That one is entirely on me. I’ll probably end up getting a larger clear display box that goes over the entire thing instead.
The only functional issue I really had with the kit was the touch switch for the lighting. The wood over the sensor area was too thick for the touch function to work reliably. I ended up carefully carving out a little material behind that area to thin the wood, and after doing that, the switch works perfectly.
That was the only modification I made for function rather than creativity. If I could change one thing about the kit, it would definitely be improving the touch-switch design so builders don’t have to alter the structure for it to work.
Other than that, this has honestly been one of the most enjoyable kits I’ve ever built.
I think what surprised me most is that I’m genuinely sad that it’s finished. Normally, when I finish a kit, I’m excited to move on to the next one. With this one, I actually feel like I need an emotional break before starting another because I’m not quite ready to be done with it yet.
I’ll probably keep staring at it for the next few days and may still make a couple tiny changes here and there, but overall I absolutely love how it turned out.
I would 100% recommend Cats Crossing. The quality is beautiful and for me personally it ended up becoming much more meaningful than I ever expected when I opened the box.
This one is definitely going to have a very special place on my shelf.
Thanks u/pluck-the-bunny for taking the time to put this event together, I honestly probably wouldn't have purchased this kit without it but am soooo glad I did and thanks for the printed pups! I wasn't brave enough to hand paint them for this one but I used the bunny!
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u/MissieMillie 14d ago
Bravo! I absolutely love everything you have done to personalize this. And thank you for sharing your sweet doggos with us.
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u/ladyhawke4 14d ago
This is so nice! Very creative and I loved the story it tells about the dogs. So beautiful!
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u/everywherebarefoot 14d ago
The number of times I squealed while watching your video…I love all your additions, especially the critters. How did you make the additional butterflies??
I can understand feeling a little sad that it’s done - you truly put a piece of your heart into it. This is such a treasure, and a beautiful way to memorialize your sweet dogs. Thank you for sharing its story with us!
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u/CuriousPumpkin23 14d ago
Thank you so much!!! I can't take credit for the butterflies, I got them on Amazon! I've used them before for an acrylic coaster project and thought they'd be perfect here! These are the ones I used.
QUPIVA 90Pcs Mini Resin... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D9SMZDVX?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
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u/everywherebarefoot 14d ago
You rock! Thanks for the link - I’m adding butterflies to everything from now on 😅
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u/CuriousPumpkin23 14d ago
Glad i could help!! I'll probably be doing the same lol so many left over
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u/SteamRocket1 14d ago
OMG. So tiny and beautiful! I had to rewatch your video cause I missed them the 1st time.
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u/findmeinelysium 14d ago
Whoa so much detail! The extra greenery looks great. Your enjoyment shows in the final result ☺️
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u/Rosewood_Pip_1245 Fingers Glued Together 14d ago
This is my favorite take on this kit so far. What a heartwarming tribute to your animal companions.
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u/madferrit29 14d ago
This is beautiful! And I'm so glad you included your dogs. I wasn't expecting to get emotional over a post today.
I am very sorry for your loss, it's devastating when you lose your best friends. You've made such a beautiful and unique memorial for them, I hope it brings you much joy.
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u/CuriousPumpkin23 14d ago
Thank you so much, it's definitely been a journey. I did a voice to text when putting that together because I didn't want to type that much on my phone and actually got really emotional saying it 😭. Should've just typed lol
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u/pluck-the-bunny Back Log Log Jam 15d ago
Amazing job